Filed under: Technology, BMW
Now that steel and aluminum are vying for top billing as the metal of choice in Automobile Land, carbon fiber is often considered the next logical step towards reducing the prodigious weight of today's cars and trucks - especially for high performance and eco-friendly vehicles. The problem, though, is that the material is still
prohibitively expensive and difficult to work with for mass production.
In an effort to get a leg up on the competition, BMW has just announced that it has paired up with SGL Group to produce carbon fiber and textile semi-finished products for "vehicle construction... to install [carbon fiber reinforced plastic] on a large scale in a series vehicle at a competitive cost." Though the material is already used in small-scale models like the M6 Coupe, BMW says its upcoming
Megacity car will be the first model to employ CFRP in "significant proportions."
The initial investment of 90 million euros will see two separate companies formed - one in North America and one in Germany - and BMW's goal is manage the entire process from creation of the carbon fibers using clean hydropower to weaving them into fabrics in Germany and, finally, recycling the material to ensure environmental sustainability. Hit the jump to read more from the official press release.
[Source: BMW]
Continue reading Add Lightness: BMW signs joint venture to further carbon fiber research
Add Lightness: BMW signs joint venture to further carbon fiber research originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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